Cranes

Moving materials with a crane is critical work. The hazards include:

• equipment failure
• the load falling
• the load hitting an existing facility
• the crane tipping over
• the crane hitting other structures
• unauthorised people entering the area
• damage to underground utilities

Crane safety precautions include:

• verify applicable examination, inspection and certification requirements for the crane and lifting accessories, with current records and defects resolved
• do not treat third-party branding or colour coding as universal legal requirements or proof that an item remains safe; any site colour-code system supplements identification, competent examination and pre-use checks
• all lifting tackle must be checked by eye for damage before use
• use the correct lifting angle
• use slings and shackles of the right capacity for the weight and shape of the load
• check the swing radius of the crane and make sure nothing obstructs it
• make sure the crane is positioned correctly
• use load-control measures selected in the lift plan; tag lines can help in some lifts but can introduce snagging or entanglement risks and must not place anyone in a crush zone
• observe the wind and other environmental limits in the lift plan and equipment instructions, accounting for load shape and conditions
• always follow the load chart
• the automatic safe load indicator (ASLI) must work, and the operator must never lift a load beyond the load chart limits
• use mats under the outriggers to spread the load
• do not place outriggers near a drain line, as they may sink and cause the crane to tip
• trained banksmen must guide the crane when it moves
• always provide barricades and proper signs to keep unauthorised people away from the lifting area

Requirements for lifting operations using mechanically operated load handling equipment

Every lifting operation that involves lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely.

• Strong, stable and suitable equipment. Employers must make sure the equipment is strong, stable and suitable for the application and the load, and assess its suitability. The load and anything attached to it, such as timber pallets or lifting points, must also be suitable. It is good practice for everyone who uses lifting equipment to inspect every item before use.
• Positioned and installed correctly. This prevents injury, for example from the equipment or the load falling or striking people. The position of mobile lifting equipment, or the location of a fixed installation, has a major effect on the risks in a lifting operation. Take every practical step to avoid people being struck by loads or by the equipment, and position the equipment to minimise lifting over people. Take care over hazards arising from proximity: contact with overhead power lines, buildings or structures, getting too close to trenches, excavations or other operations, and contact with buried services such as drains and sewers.
• Visibly marked with the safe working load (SWL). The SWL should be marked on lifting equipment, with the relevant SWL depending on the configuration of the equipment. Lifting accessories such as eye bolts, lifting magnets and lifting beams should also be marked. The SWL is based on the maximum load the equipment can lift safely.
• Planned, supervised and carried out safely by competent people. The employer must make sure every lifting operation involving lifting equipment or accessories is properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. The plan must deal with the foreseeable risks and identify the resources, including people, needed to finish the job safely. Factors to include may be any or all of: working under suspended loads, visibility, attaching, detaching and securing loads, environment, location, overturning, proximity hazards, derating, lifting people, overload, pre-use checking and the continuing integrity of the equipment. All crane operators, and everyone who slings loads or directs lifting operations, must be trained and competent.
• Special requirements for lifting people. Use equipment suitable for the purpose, preferably specifically designed for lifting people, with the required marking, safeguards, examination and rescue arrangements. HSE guidance places additional conditions on exceptional use of other equipment; lack of suitable equipment is not by itself justification. Some equipment is designed for both people and goods, within its rated use.
  • Select measures to prevent falling, crushing and trapping and to make rescue possible, according to the equipment design and applicable requirements. Do not prescribe one generic two-mechanism arrangement for every type of lift.
  • Maintain reliable communication and visibility appropriate to the lift plan, with competent signallers where needed. Stop if the agreed communication is lost.
  • A rescue plan must be prepared for every personnel lift as part of the lift plan. All the equipment needed for the rescue must be readily available before and during the lift, and rescue plans must be practised at regular intervals. Rescue can bring its own hazards, so planning and carrying out rescue exercises needs particular care and additional risk assessments.
  • A test lift without personnel must be carried out where access is confined or there is potential for snagging or another hazard.

Summary notes for Element 6 · Cheat sheet · Glossary. A study aid, not published or endorsed by NEBOSH.